Profiles

Stoke City Football Club chairman Peter Coates is a local boy done good.

Originally from Goldenhill, near Tunstall in Stoke-on-Trent, Peter has made his millions in the catering and gambling industries.

Born the son of a miner, Peter finally moved into online gambling in 2000, prompted by his daughter Denise, and Bet365 was born.

Ups and downs

First time round, Peter's tenure as Stoke's chairman had more lows than highs and resulted in a relatively unsuccessful period in the club's history.

However, Peter Coates is definitely enjoying his second spell at the club. In 2008, the Potters are celebrating promotion to the English Premier League for the first time in 23 years.

He was subsequently awarded an honorary degree from Staffordshire University.

Exclusive interview

BBC Radio Stoke sports reporter John Acres caught up with Peter for an exclusive interview in January 2008.

Peter chatted about his family and his childhood. It's full of surprises. For instance, did you know that Peter started his journey to becoming one of the richest men in football today by keeping chickens?

He also talked about his accent, or lack of one, his days in the armed forces, and his plans for the Potters for the future...

In the second part of the interview, Peter described the rollercoaster ride on Stoke City's board: the Lou Macari years; the sale of the club to the Icelanders; and the difficult decision to go against his family's wishes, and buy back the club in 2006...